title: Analysis of cerebral toxoplasmosis in a series of 170 allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cerebral toxoplasmosis is a rare but fatal complication in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients, which mostly is caused by reactivation of latent disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we report an analysis of cerebral toxoplasmosis in a series of 170 allogeneic stem cell transplant patients during a 30-month period at our institution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among these allogeneic stem cell transplant patients, 5 were diagnosed with cerebral toxoplasmosis by brain magnetic resonance imaging and polymerase chain reaction of Toxoplasma gondii DNA. The incidence of cerebral toxoplasmosis was found to be 2.94%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mortality rate is known to be very high in cerebral toxoplasmosis; therefore, it is life saving to diagnose the disease in the early stages and start treatment promptly, especially in high-endemic countries like Turkey.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases, Anadolu Medical Center, Kocaeli, Turkey.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hakko
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Ozkan
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karaman
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gulbas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002981:Clindamycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003049:Coccidiostats / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016781:Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003049:Coccidiostats; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D002981:Clindamycin; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination
keywords: PCR; Toxoplasma gondii; allogeneic transplantation; cerebral toxoplasmosis; cranial MRI; prophylaxis; treatment